King’s Cross has today announced a game changing deal with the cocktail and shuffleboard bar, Electric Shuffle, which is set to open in spring 2025.
The deal taps into the significant growth of competitive socialising and forms part of the evolving retail strategy at King’s Cross to provide a more diverse range of accessible retail and leisure options for people who live, work, study and visit the estate.
The 9,400 sq. ft, 400-person capacity Electric Shuffle venue is the first major occupier to be announced in the Parkside neighbourhood of King’s Cross. It will feature 12 shuffle tables, two bars, plenty of seating and an outdoor terrace.
King’s Cross Parkside, the area surrounding Lewis Cubitt Park, is the last remaining retail neighbourhood available to lease and features 20 retail units ranging from circa 700 sq to 9,000 sq ft.
The permanent competitive socialising venue at Parkside will enhance the seasonal competitive socialising offer at King’s Cross, which includes the much-loved Club Curling over the Christmas period in Coal Drops Yard and the increasingly popular Club Pétanque, a summer activation in Pancras Square. A significant disruptor to the leisure sector, competitive socialising has grown at unparalleled levels over the past five years, with Savills reporting a 38% uptick in venues since 2018.
News of Electric Shuffle comes hot on the heels of a clutch of other retail signings this autumn.
London-born design and homeware brand, The Conran Shop joins the roster of new retailers. Located at the gable end of Coal Drops Yard facing the newly opened Mare Street Market, the 2,852 sq. ft pop-up shop offers a curated selection of the brand’s furniture, lighting and lifestyle products in an inspiring industrial setting over the next 12 months.
Multi-fashion brand, Vitruta has also opened its first ever UK store in Coal Drops Yard, taking a 923 sq. ft unit on the Viaduct level next door to Uniqlo. Known for its curated approach to style, Vitruta brings a thoughtful selection of renowned and distinctive brands, including Sandqvist, Nudie Jeans, Etudes, Samsoe Samsoe, Norse Projects, Foret, House of Sunny, and more.
The world’s first on-demand high street mental health service, Self-Space has recently opened a 616 sq. ft space in Coal Drops Yard. The drop-in service features one-to-one, group and couples therapy and represents an ongoing need for wellbeing and mental health amenities, alongside the more traditional retail and F&B offer.
These new retail signings signal high leasing demand at King’s Cross and have supported a 2% increase in sales year-to-date on 2023.
James Rayner, head of retail for Related Argent, the developer and asset manager of the King’s Cross estate said: “The arrival of Electric Shuffle in the Parkside neighbourhood marks a significant shift in the retail and leisure offer at King’s Cross and taps into growing demand for competitive socialising in the UK. Building on the success of our seasonal competitive socialising activities and the recent opening of Mare Street Market, which anchors the northern part of the estate, Electric Shuffle will provide a permanent leisure pursuit for those living, working or visiting the estate. This is the first in a series of new arrivals in the Parkside neighbourhood and we are confident it will be a resounding success.
“As part of our evolving retail strategy, we are also targeting an increasingly diverse range of lifestyle, wellbeing and everyday amenity brands, which is reflected in the breadth of new retailers that have joined us over the last few months.”
Steve Moore, CEO and founder of Red Engine said: “We’re thrilled to be bringing the Electric Shuffle experience to another cracking London location. This area of Kings Cross is a hub of cool, well-loved brands with a buzzing nightlife. We’re so excited to be a part of that. We look forward to helping create memorable moments for groups of locals and visitors to the area when we open our doors next year.”
